Suspect threatened to 'detonate bomb' using mobile phone.
By
Esther Tan
An alert guard and five bank employees foiled an attempted robbery at the UOB branch at City Plaza in Geylang Road on Monday afternoon. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
AN ALERT guard and five bank employees foiled an attempted robbery at the UOB branch at City Plaza in Geylang Road on Monday afternoon.
The drama began at 3.15 pm when the suspect, carrying a green plastic bag, walked up to a bank teller and handed him a note.
In a threatening tone, the man, said to be dark-complexioned, warned Mr Ow Soon Hock, 46, 'Don't be a hero. I am desperate. Take all the money from the drawer and put them in a paper bag and give it to me. You have three minutes.'
Recounting the tense moments, Mr Ow told The Straits Times that the robbery suspect then threatened to 'detonate the bomb' using his mobile phone.
He pointed to the plastic bag and warned, 'This is a bomb.'
Mr Ow quickly took the note to the back office and alerted his manager.
Meanwhile, Certis Cisco guard Rosli Mohamad Sa'ad, 45, noting that the man was behaving suspiciously, decided to swing into action.
He wrestled the man to the ground. Five other bank staff sprang to his help and pinned down the man.
The police were called and soon the suspect was arrested.
